Unknown Free Agent WR Made Browns Minicamp Roster By Lying His Way Into Invite-Only Tryout

NFL rosters are filled with undrafted free agents, but none has a story like Browns rookie Damon Sheehy-Guiseppi.

The 24-year-old hasn’t played organized football at any level since leading the nation in kickoff yards and TD’s for Phoenix College (JUCO) back in 2016. Following that season, he tried and failed to catch the attention of big-time DI schools by touring the country with his game film in 2017, but was shutout. Adding insult to injury, he was also informed he only had 1-year of eligibility remaining.

After his tour, he was out of college options, and didn’t have enough money to return to JUCO. Instead of packing it in after seeing his college dreams crushed, he decided to turn pro, despite being miles off any NFL team’s radar.

He spent the next year training back in Arizona and getting dead end NFL leads. Still without so much as a sniff of interest from the NFL, and a failed CFL tryout under his belt, Sheehy learned through a connection of a March invite-only tryout being held by the Browns in Miami, run by Browns VP of Football Operations Alonzo Highsmith. He didn’t actually HAVE an invite, but that didn’t stop him.

Sheehy told Cleveland.com that he showed up in Miami prepared to lie his way past screeners by falsely claiming he was invited by Highsmith, whom he didn’t actually know. It worked.

He returned kicks, punts, and caught balls, but really raised eyebrows by running a scorching 4.38 40-yard dash. Following the workout he got a call from Highsmith, inviting him to Cleveland for an official tryout, just one week later.

Without money to rent a room in The Land, Sheehy slept outside, and inside a 24-Hour Fitness until the day of the tryout. He impressed GM John Dorsey enough to sign him to the Browns minicamp roster on April 5 that will get him into Browns training camp without having to lie his way in. Last week he was catching balls from Baker Mayfield.

He’s still a longshot to make the final 53-man roster, but he’ll get a shot in the preseason. Bet against this guy at your own risk.

Here’s a clip of Sheehy-Giuseppe in action. you can’t teach 4.3 speed.